The Ranger's Games
by Mysteriously Epic
Summary: The 75th Hunger Games. A boy, whose skill with a bow is legendary. And a girl, who has an uncanny talent with knives. But, there can only be one winner in the arena. Who will it be?
1. Introduction

**Well, here is the first chapter! **

* * *

_Will's POV_

Every year, Halt goes off to a place that he never tells me about. But this year, something happened. When Halt rode away on Abelard, I followed on Tug, silently. He didn't notice me, which was odd. Halt would never, **ever** let anyone follow him. After a long time, he left the gravel road we were traveling on, and plunged into the forest. Tug pulled on the reins, but I kept him at the slow trot. Then, I heard voices.

"And this year is the Quarter Quell! Let's celebrate the 75th anniversary by seeing what special extra is included in this Hunger Games!"

Hunger Games? Quarter Quell? Okay, these people are losing me. I walked Tug forward, still hidden, but so I could see. There was a stage, and a weird-looking person with big, curly, fluffy hair. I have the slightest feeling it was a wig. She continued on with her high-pitched voice.

"And here it is! The tributes this year will be the mentor's son or daughter! But, if Halt doesn't have one, it will be his apprentice."

Fear constricted my throat. A sudden wave of memories swept over me. About the Hunger Games. About how the tributes killed each other, and only one will live. How it was the Capital that forced them too. I know that Halt doesn't have a kid. And I'm his apprentice.

* * *

"No! Halt!" I yell at him, back in the cozy cabin. Only it doesn't feel cozy now. It feels like the walls are closing in on me, trapping me. Halt looked at me, his gaze unwavering.

"They know about you. They know you're my apprentice. If you don't go, the Capital will destroy everyone you love," he murmured. There was a pause, then he spoke again.

"I wish it wasn't like this, but you have to." I stared at him. The thought of killing innocent people just wanted me to go against everything I've been trained for, to just run away and huddle in a corner.

"I'm sorry Will." Halt said, standing up. He crossed the room, sitting down next to me. The room was swaying, and his face swam in and out of my view.

"Halt?" I mutter. He glanced at me.

"Yes?"

"Get a bucket of water ready. And make it extra cold." I could see Halt nodding in his grim fashion, right before everything went black.

**First chapter! What do you guys think? I know, a little bad. But I'm still a bud, not a flower.**


	2. Flashback

**Second chapter! Oh yeah, ~W~ means Will's POV, and ~A~ means. . . Right, she's the new character! **

* * *

_Aluni's POV_

"No!" My scream came out, sounding torn. I stared up at the cold, metal stage. My best friend was going up there! _No, not fragile Willow!_ I thought, despair weighing me down. My throat closed up when I spotted her, walking up the steps. I wanted to scream, but it was too late. The crazy women, Effie Trinket, was drawing the boy's name. I didn't hear what it was, because I was deep in the sea of guilt. Willow was staring at me, her eyes wide. What was written in them, though, froze my blood cold. There was fear, of course, but mixed in with it, was hate. Hate directed at me, for not standing up for her, like my mother. Why does everyone say I always have to be like Katniss Everdeen? I sometimes just want to slip away, to just hide away. . .

I was shaken awake by my dad, Peeta.

"What's wrong?" he asks. His hand touches my cheek, and I notice that it was wet. Sighing, I wipe the tears off my face with my sleeve.

"I had the nightmare again." I mutter. My thoughts flit to Willow again, and I feel my heart choke up when I remember that she was killed. _Oh Willow, why didn't I volunteer for you? _

Dad smiles sadly, ruffling my brownish golden hair.

"Aluni, I know how bad you feel. But you have to let go." Yeah, like I can. It was a year ago when it happened, enough time for my parents to process my feelings. But they still didn't understand that it was the Reaping that broke me from my formerly bubbly self. They thought it was because of Willow's alley in the Games.

* * *

_I was watching the big, canvas screen, watching my best friend get thrown to the ground, watching her beautiful sea green eyes open wide, watching as her ally threw herself over Willow, taking the knife for her. Tanya, I think that was her name. She was brave, desperately brave for Willow's sake. I guess that she felt overprotective of her, because it was awful for the Capital to use her as a pawn. It only made me want to take Willow's place even more, but nothing could be done. _

_My best friend was gathering moss, trying to soak up the blood from the wound. I saw Tanya reach up to stop her, then my ears caught her words. _

_"You are the willow tree that symbolizes faith. So hold that faith that you will win the Hunger Games." she murmured, grasping her hand. Willow's eyes sought out Tanya's, the green orbs pleading. _

_"Don't go." she whispered._

_"I must let go of the grass now, and float up to the sky." Tanya gasped out, her hand slipping from Willow's. Everyone in Panama heard her last words: _

_"I don't regret anything. You were the sister I never had." __ And with that, her blue eyes closed, her body stilled, and the ominous boom of the cannon rang out in the quiet clearing. _

* * *

"Aluni?" Mom's voice came into my blackout, jerking me away from the memory. It was becoming more and more often now, but I had no idea why. Then the answer hit me full in the face. Today was the Reaping. I open my eyes, looking at my mom. She didn't look angry, because her eyes held the softness of sympathy.

"I'm so sorry." she murmurs, coming to sit by me. Her fingers delicately brush the tears away from my eyes once again, like she always does.

"Come on, let's get you into your dress. It's new." Mom whispers, standing up and walking toward my closet. She pulls out the prettiest dress I ever saw in my life. It was full of oranges, reds, and yellows. This was the fire that represented my mother, and she was letting me wear it.

"Thank you." I whisper, so awed by the dress. She laughs softly, then grabs a comb.

"Your hair looks like a hive of bumblebees." she says, running the bristles through it. When I finished dressing, and Mom finished with my hair, I look into the mirror. There was a pretty girl in it, and she had the same features as me. But it couldn't be me, could it?

Mom answers like she knew my thoughts.

"Yes, that's you, my sweet orange." I stare up at her, my blue eyes wide. She laughs again, the sound like a thousand tinkling bells. I wanted to be like her so badly, that there was a hole in my heart, slowly growing bigger until I couldn't take it anymore. I realized I'd been holding my breath, so I let it out and walked out the door.

I met up with my friend, Hali Glenn, near the electric fence. That rare hum was in the air as we talked in hushed voices. Then we scattered, and went to the Reaping. Effie was already on the stage, so I quickly went to my age group. Hali was in the younger one, because I was one year older than her. We were a bit late, because only a few people were being checked in.

Effie Trinket says something I didn't quite catch, and the film from the Capital started. I heard rustling behind me, then a snort. Just as I was turning to look, a soft gasp came out, and the thing vanishes. The video ends, and Effie speaks into the microphone.

"Ladies first!" she calls out, and puts her hand in the big glass bowl. Effie goes around for a minute, then draws out a card. She opens it, and waits a little bit for dramatic effect. To me, it's annoying. And then, she calls out the name.

"Hali Glenn!"

My blood freezes. No. No! _No! _It can't be happening again! I see my sweet-tempered friend slowly walk to the stage, when I start to scream.

"Hali! _Hali! _No! Please!" My yells echo around the square. Peacekeepers come and grab at me. I kick out at them, clawing and scratching like a wild animal. My mind goes insane when finally, I give up and scream out 2 last words.

"I volunteer!"

I can't believe it. This was my chance. My only chance to burn away the guilt of the past. I take shaky steps to the cold, unfriendly stage, my heartbeat roaring in my ears.

"Well, it looks like we are done now. May the odds be _ever _in your favor." Effie says, and smiles.

_What? _I thought, _What about the boys? _Hali's hands were covering her mouth, and there were tears threatening to spill over her lashes. _  
_

_I'm sorry. _I mouth, when I see a banner in the air. I start reading, and when I'm done, I almost faint from fear.

**This is the 75th Hunger Games, meaning the Quarter Quell!**

You will be able to see the mentor's son or daughter fight to the death in this pageant!

But if the mentor _doesn't _have a child, then it will be one of their apprentices!

Who will win, in this blood-roaring, heart-pounding Quell?

My whole district knows about the grim-faced, mysterious Halt, the mentor. And we all know that he has an apprentice, one that could be a deadly foe. I realized now, that this could be the Games that everyone would be watching.

**Well, this is the longest I've written so far! What do you think? R&R for Leopard?**


	3. Visitors

**Nothing to say really, just a thank you for reading my story! :) I'm really surprised that all of you even considered reading this! By the way, Merry Late Christmas and Happy Early New Year!**

* * *

_~W~_

I wake up on the floor, with my clothes soaking wet. The reality of it was starting to sink in. _I was competing the Hunger Games. _

My eyes finally notice two uniformed men beside me. "We're here to see that you don't escape." One says. Are the Capital really that thick? Of course I'm not going to escape, there is an _indestructible __door in front of me. _I wonder if everyone is like that, when a voice comes out of the blue.

"3 minutes." My guards say gruffly.

"Will?"

That one word made me feel like I was in paradise, and not in some cold forbidding room. "Alyss?" I whisper.

She grips my arm. "You can win this. You have too." she murmurs. My heart lifts at this.

"Alyss?" I say again, "If I don't make-"

Then, out of all the things I would expect, she surprises me by giving me a soft kiss on the cheek. "I know." Alyss mumbles. I see a blush creep up her neck.

"Time's up." The guard says, and grabs her arm.

"Win for me Will!" Alyss yells, her last parting words to me. I sit there, rubbing the spot on my cheek, and feeling a bit dazed, when the next person comes. I'm so glad, I let a soft sigh escape from me.

It's Horace.

My warrior friend sits down heavily, a worried look about him. We don't speak for a bit. When he finally does, it was exactly what I'd thought he'd say. "Will, you have to find shelter, and water." he mutters awkwardly.

"You have to find arrows and a bow. And then, make a strategy to win." Horace says. I just nod, taking shallow breaths.

He spreads his hands in a helpless gesture. "I'm sorry Will," my tall friend sadly says,"But I can't change the past."

I sigh, resting my forehead against the cool glass of the window. "It's alright Horace." I hear the two men come. What are they called? Peacemakers. So much for the word 'peace' in there.

My friend leaves the room, closing the door silently.

I'm alone.

And I don't know what to do.

Wait a minute, where's Halt? Shouldn't he be here?

* * *

_~A~ _

I pace the room, silently wiping the tears from my eyes. I hear the Peacekeepers open the door, and soft footsteps come toward me. I know exactly who it is.

The girl I'm now risking my life for.

She comes in, and sits down. All of a sudden, she breaks down. Not the dainty, lady-like sniffles, but full-out, snotty sobs.

"I-I'm sorry!" Hali cries, tears making their way down her face. I'm frozen.

But then something inside me clicks, and I find myself sitting down next to her. My hand reaches up to pat her back, and almost of it's own accord, my mouth starts talking.

"It's not your fault. I chose this path, and I can't walk off of it now." I whisper. I'm holding back the tears now, trying to be strong for the fragile girl in front of me.

"Aluni," she whispers,"Why?"

Why? _Why? _Because I'm going in there to avenge Willow's death.

How am I supposed to tell her that? She'll just cry herself dry. I compromise with myself by patting her on the back.

My reddish-brown haired friend gives vent to a small sigh. "I wish you didn't have to go."

I give her a tiny smile, my eyes watering. Before I can think about it, I start to sing softly.

_Deep in the meadow, under the willow  
__A bed of grass, a soft green pillow  
__Lay down your head, and close your sleepy eyes  
__And when you awake, the sun will rise._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you._

_Deep in the meadow, hidden far away  
A cloak of leaves, A moonbeam ray, Forget your woes and let your troubles lay  
And when again it's morning, they'll wash away._

_Here it's safe, here it's warm  
Here the daisies guard you from every harm  
Here your dreams are sweet and tomorrow brings them true  
Here is the place where I love you. _

The song's become something of a tradition among District 12, a dedication to the gentle twelve-year-old, Rue. I realize that the birds outside the window have stopped twittering their songs, just standing on their branches, listening.

Hali grips my hand. "Please win." she whispers. I nod, feeling a little bit sick.

She gives me a hug, and leaves.


	4. A Friendly Conversation

**First of all, I'm so very sorry for not being on much! There was a competition, so the practicing took up all of my time, and I couldn't get on much. (And then there was a test.) SO SORRY! A bit of OC for Will in this chapter. I think. **

* * *

_~A~_

Everything goes in a blur after that. The Peacekeepers push me out of the room. We walk over to the train. Before I go in, I take one look back. Then, I reach out and unlock the door, scared of what I'll see. There are a million thoughts running through my head, almost all of them bad.

Taking a deep breath, I push open the train door, and look inside. There's Effie Trinket, sitting at a table. Across from her is my mom.

Oh, right.

I'd forgotten. She's District 12's mentor, along with. . . Along with Halt.

I shift my eyes, not wanting to face her. Butterflies suddenly start fluttering in my stomach, making me feel sick. Pushing the feeling aside, I scan the rest of the room for something unfamiliar. No, I don't think so.

Wait a minute, who's that? I feel my blood freezes when I see the other tribute, Will. The first thought that pops into my mind is, _He's shorter than I thought._

Then I mentally kick myself. What if he had telepathy? Or telekinesis? Like the rumors say, the Rangers had a mysterious dark power, almost like magic. I once heard a person claim that he saw one of them disappear right in front of his eyes!

I let out a soft sigh, rolling my eyes. It couldn't be true. Who can become invisible? Nobody. Absolutely nobody.

_You're just fooling yourself. _A tiny nagging voice in the back of my head whispers. Giving myself another eye roll, I walk into the train. Luckily, since I hunt with my mother, I can walk as softly as I want. It comes in handy sometimes. Like now.

For some unknown reason, I'm tempted to walk straight over to the Ranger. A weird urge for sure.

_Well, _I think, _I'm already going to die. Why not make a few more friends before I go? _

So, with that all covered, I slip into the seat next to his. I hesitate a little, and then try to start the conversation a simple, "Hey."

Up close, I see that he has light brown hair, with tousled bangs falling into his dark brown eyes. He also has a skinny frame, possibly from harnessing the power of magic. _Great, _I think, _I'm back at square one again. And just when I got over thinking he could use sorcery! _

The Ranger has his head in his hands, body still. At my attempt to get him to talk, he turns to look at me. "Hi." he says.

I reward him with a small smile. "I'm Aluni Everdeen. And I know you're Will Treaty."

He looks startled for a moment, and then a slow grin spreads across his face. "Looks like people even here know me." Will says.

I laugh softly. "Of course they would! You helped sign the peace treaty with the Skandians!"

I can almost see him relax, and I grin. If you make a good impression on people, maybe they won't kill you.

"I guess I did. But that's only part of it, right?" Will said, a small smile tugging at the end of his mouth.

I decide it was safe to start teasing him. "Or, maybe it's that you had embarrassing punishments from Halt."

He gives a soft chuckle. "Maybe, " Will says, and then changes the subject. "So, how come you had to compete in the Hunger Games?"

The smile melts off of my face, and I drop my gaze to my lap. Of course, it's still a touchy subject.

"I-I volunteered." I stutter,"I did it to save my friend."

I can feel his gaze scorch through me, trying to see if I'm lying. It's scary. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. My hands are shaking slightly. _  
_

"Is that true?" Will asks. I give him a short, small nod.

He sits back in his seat. I then realize that we're moving. The train, I mean.

There's a pause.

"It's terrible being forced into something you don't want to do." he murmurs suddenly. I start, and look at him. Maybe he isn't that bad after all.

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Will leans back, and looks at the ceiling. "I don't know how to explain it," he starts, "But when people tell you to do this, and then do that, isn't it all tiring?"

I study him. There are somber lines etched in his face, so I know he's serious. Apparently, I've misjudged him. People really don't know a lot about Rangers.

I return my thoughts to his question. "Yes, it is." I finally reply.

"So, being forced to kill people. . . Isn't it cruel? Not like in a war, I've been in plenty of those." he says, a grim smile twisting his features. I don't say anything. I can tell that the Ranger has more on his mind.

He continues. "To make people kill for fun. It's disgusting. Crazy, even. I wonder what came over them, to create the Hunger Games."

I open my mouth, about to tell him about the Treaty of Treason and the Dark Days. Will raises his hand to stall my reminder. "I know about it. It's a 'punishment.' But doesn't it go too far?"

I mull it over in my head. I'm just about to answer when I hear the sound of cheering. The butterflies flit back into my stomach. Will and I have had our conversation for the entire trip. But now, it's time.

We're at the Capital.


End file.
